Collared Forest Falcons get their name from the two dark bands on the back of their necks that resemble a collar. They are the largest of the Forest Falcons and are dark on the back and pale underneath.
They have greenish facial skin, dark upperparts, white necks and breasts, bills that are dark grey to black, large brown eyes, long yellow legs and feet, short wings, and long black and white tails with three narrow white bars and a white tip.
They are also known to have three color morphs, pale, tawny, and dark. The dark is rare and black overall, the tawny is cinnamon underneath instead of white like the pale variant.
Juveniles are similar and are dark on the back and lighter underneath, but the collar may not be visible.
- Micrastur semitorquatus
- Length: 18 – 22.8 in (46 – 58 cm)
- Weight:16 – 33 oz (479 – 940 g)
- Wingspan: 28 – 33.8 in (72 – 86 cm)
Range
The Collared Forest Falcon has only been seen in Texas, probably since it borders Mexico where they are usually found as well as South America.
Habitat And Diet
You can find the Collared Forest Falcon in a wide range of forested environments. As a forest falcon, it favors edges and clearings, secondary-growth forests with a dense understory, and mangroves. It hardly moves deep into a large forested area.
Collared Forest Falcons hunt small prey like frogs, snakes, rodents, and large insects but they’re also known to hunt bigger prey like birds, and other animals much bigger than them.
They ambush their prey with stealth as they fly from perch to perch. They can also run fast on the ground through the forest’s dense cover.
Collared Forest Falcon Call:
Nests
Nests of Collared Forest Falcons are usually in cavities of old, large trees or cliffs. They don’t add any other material to modify their nests. In cases where there are scarce tree cavities, they may take over other birds’ nests and displace any eggs or chicks that are there.Â
The female lays two to three eggs and she alone incubates them for as long as forty-eight days. The male supports her by feeding her. When the eggs hatch, both parents feed their young and continue to care for them even after they’re capable of flight.
Fun Fact:
Collared-forest Falcons call before sunrise so the sound will travel further to claim their territory.